Earth Hour 2012

My Earth Hour location 2011.

I've been away for the past three Earth Hour events, and at a birthday party for the one before that.

The birthday party was at a cooking school, where all guests mingled and cooked the birthday dinner. It was fun, but we certainly did not acknowledge the event by dimming our lights and powering off our stoves for the hour.

The next year I was in China. Wherever I happened to be that night, I certainly don't remember any lights being powered down. I've seen the clips on the news of the Great Wall with the lights going dim, and wonder,"what section were they at?"

Two years ago I was in St. Lucia. Again, no dimming of lights on the walkways through the resort.

Last year I was in Nepal, specifically in Kathmandu. Kathmandu only gets 12-14 hours of power a day if they are lucky, normally, and yet, I saw signs for Earth Day there, and how important it was, in a country were 24 hour power use is a rarity (only by backup generator) and a luxury. Solar panels are actively used on many houses as the heat source for their water. That is how the water in our hostel was heated.               

This was just the norm in Kathmandu.

This year, will be the first time I can actively participate in Earth Hour. I wouldn't call myself a  power hog with lights ablaze from all rooms in my house, but I'm also not one to only have one light on in the room I am in & power off everything else. I am probably in the middle somewhere. Tonight I will turn off my lights, will light a candle or two & by thankful that I live a place where power is easily accessible, and what a luxury it is. Climate change is here — this crazy winter is proof of that.

Finally, this year my house will be in darkness for Earth Hour, noting how we all can participate and show our unity in the fight against climate change. I don't have solar panels like my hostel in Kathmandu did, but that experience showed me just what you can do, with very little.